System and a Method Relating to Network Management

Abstract

The present invention relates to a node supporting networking and communication with other nodes by means of a layered communication protocol and group communication with other nodes controlled via a grouping protocol adapted to interact with said communication protocol. The node comprises a policy engine which is arranged separately from, but in communication with said grouping protocol. The policy engine is adapted to establish current and/or changing node, group and network related information and to use one or more grouping policies to automatically and dynamically control grouping related actions and adapt the grouping. The invention also relates to a system comprising a number of such nodes and a method of controlling grouping.

1 . A node supporting networking and communication with other nodes by means of a layered communication protocol comprising a communication layer and further supporting group communication with other nodes controlled via a grouping protocol adapted to interact with said communication layer, the node comprising a policy engine which is arranged separately from, but in communication with, said grouping protocol, said policy engine being adapted to establish current and/or changing node, group and network related information, and to use said information and one or more indicated or activated grouping policies to automatically and dynamically control grouping related actions and adapt the grouping. 
     
     
         2 . A node according to  claim 1 , wherein said policy engine comprises or communicates with monitoring means adapted to collect said current and/or change related information concerning status and/or activity of nodes, group(s) and network, said policy engine further comprising a policy decision means, said monitoring means being adapted to provide said information to the policy decision means and a policy handling means adapted to indicate and/or activate one or more grouping policies to be used in node grouping and further being adapted to provide information about said one or more grouping policies to the policy decision means, the policy decision means being adapted to interpret said active grouping policies and to make grouping related policy decisions based on said interpretations, and policy enforcement means adapted to enforce said decisions. 
     
     
         3 . A node according to  claim 1 , comprising policy enforcement means, wherein said policy enforcement means are adapted to enforce decisions using the grouping protocol interacting with the communication layer of the communication protocol. 
     
     
         4 . A node according to  claim 2 , wherein the policy handling means comprises a policy management tool with a user interface. 
     
     
         5 . A node according to  claim 2 , wherein the policy handling means comprises or communicates with policy handling means holding policies related to grouping. 
     
     
         6 . A node according to  claim 2 , wherein the policy decision means are adapted to control a grouping related decision process relating to one or more of group membership of nodes, group structure, group or group member constraints, and metrics. 
     
     
         7 . A node according to  claim 2 , wherein the grouping protocol comprises a group management protocol providing messaging capabilities required for group controlling and node group member communication. 
     
     
         8 . A node according to  claim 2 , wherein the policy enforcement means are adapted to control the grouping protocol, said control corresponding to the decisions made in the policy decision means. 
     
     
         9 . A node according to  claim 1 , wherein the grouping policies are defined as respective sets of policy rules. 
     
     
         10 . A node according to  claim 9 , wherein the policy decision means comprise a policy conflict resolution function adapted to detect conflicts between policy rules of different active policies and to resolve the conflicts automatically or by means of invoking manual intervention. 
     
     
         11 . A node according to  claim 2 , wherein the node is adapted to comprise or communicate with configuration and management applications and wherein the policy engine is adapted to create and dynamically adapt the grouping and grouping related features according to current network context and configuration and management tasks provided by said configuration and management applications. 
     
     
         12 . A node according to  claim 9 , wherein each policy rule comprises a set of conditions and a set of actions related to said conditions. 
     
     
         13 . A node according to  claim 12 , wherein a condition comprises a compound expression which is related to one or more entities and wherein an action relates to a set of actions specifying parameters to be input to one or more grouping protocol(s). 
     
     
         14 . A node according to  claim 2 , comprising a computer, a PC, a PDA, and a node of a mobile telecommunications network. 
     
     
         15 . A data or telecommunications network, comprising a number of nodes according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         16 . A method of controlling grouping of nodes supporting communication and networking with other nodes by means of a layered communication protocol, comprising a communication layer, and a grouping protocol, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing one or more grouping related policies to a policy engine;   monitoring or establishing, in each node, current and/or changing node, group and network related information; and   using said grouping related policies to automatically and dynamically control grouping related actions and adapt the grouping.   
     
     
         17 . A method according to  claim 16 , wherein the policy providing step in a node comprises:
 providing the grouping related policies to a policy decision means of the policy engine;   monitoring in monitoring means, in the node, current status and/or change related information in said nodes, the group and the network;   providing said current status and/or change related information to the policy decision means;   interpreting the grouping related policies with respect to current status and/or activity related information;   making grouping related decisions based on said interpretations; and   enforcing the decisions made by means of the grouping protocol interacting with the communication layer enabling interaction and communication with other nodes.   
     
     
         18 . A method according to  claim 17 , wherein the policy providing step comprises:
 indicating or selecting, via a user interface, grouping policies to be activated, said policies being available in a local policy repository of the node.   
     
     
         19 . A method according to  claim 16 , comprising the steps of:
 detecting, manually or automatically, conflicts or contradictions between different active grouping policies; and   resolving said conflicts manually or automatically.   
     
     
         20 . A method according to  claim 16 , comprising the step of:
 providing configuration and management related tasks to the policy decision means of a node from a configuration and management application to initiate a grouping control procedure.